Congenital lung malformation (CLM) is a group of abnormalities in which a baby's lung tissue or airways develop abnormally before birth. The term covers several related conditions in which part of the lung forms cysts, fails to connect normally to the airways or blood supply, or develops as nonfunctioning tissue. Ma…
Congenital lung malformation (CLM) is a group of abnormalities in which a baby's lung tissue or airways develop abnormally before birth. The term covers several related conditions in which part of the lung forms cysts, fails to connect normally to the airways or blood supply, or develops as nonfunctioning tissue. Many cases are now identified during pregnancy through prenatal imaging, and outcomes range widely, with some lesions causing significant breathing problems and others remaining largely without symptoms. Within Fetal Surgery, CLM is significant because some of these lesions can be evaluated and, in selected cases, treated before birth. When abnormal lung tissue is associated with fluid accumulation in the chest, fetal interventions such as shunt placement may be used to drain the affected space and relieve pressure on the developing lungs and heart. Research in this field, including work on thoraco-amniotic shunt placement for fetal pleural effusion arising from pulmonary sequestration, examines how prenatal procedures can manage the consequences of abnormal lung development. As a discipline, Fetal Surgery focuses on diagnosing such malformations early and intervening when it can improve outcomes. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to congenital lung malformation and its prenatal management.
1 peer-reviewed article, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.